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The healthy diet is critical for optimum health. Understanding what IS in your diet as well as what ISN’T in it can make controlling or eliminating high blood pressure much easier. For instance, did you know one tiny toxin that’s present in most processed foods actually causes high blood pressure? It’s true. But we’ll cover that later.

Salt/Sodium

Sodium is essential to life and to good health. It maintains water balance, transmits nerve impulses, muscle contractions and maintains the electrolyte balance inside and outside cells.

Salt, a naturally occurring compound contains 40% sodium and 60% chlorine. Sodium is also added in food processing, such as sodium bicarbonate (leavening agent), sodium nitrate, sodium benzoate and monosodium glutamate.

A general consensus of the U.S. recommended daily allowance (RDA) for sodium is 2,400 mg. The Recommended Nutritional Intake (RNI) for the UK has an upper limit of 1,600 mg.

Salt sensitivity (SS) is a condition determined by measuring how blood pressure responds to a decrease in salt intake and during repletion/supplementation. Experts agree that excessive salt consumption can be harmful to those with SS and they should follow the advice of their healthcare provider regarding daily sodium intake.

Caffeine

Caffeine, a stimulant, can be found in coffee, tea, chocolate, many food products (especially soft drinks), some nuts, and certain prescription and over-the-counter medicines. It affects the body’s metabolism, stimulates the central nervous system, and is known to cause restlessness, anxiety, irritability, nervousness, headaches and abnormal heart rhythms.

Energy drinks usually contain high caffeine levels. A study of young adults drinking two energy drinks a day for one week resulted in elevated blood pressure readings, both systolic and diastolic. The systolic pressure increased an average of 10 mmHg and the heart rate increased by 7 beats per minute. Researchers recommended that individuals with high blood pressure or heart disease avoid energy drinks; they concluded that both blood pressure and the effectiveness of medication could be affected.

Alcohol

Recent studies have shown that even modest alcohol consumption causes an increase in blood pressure. They also found that, as alcohol consumption increased, there was an additional rise in blood pressure. Alcohol has approximately seven calories per gram, a twelve-ounce beer has about 150 calories. These “empty” calories contain no beneficial nutrients, but can contribute to weight gain. The calorie count climbs when alcohol is mixed in a cocktail containing fruit juices and carbonated beverages.

Calcium and magnesium

Studies have shown that people with a low intake of calcium and magnesium are more likely to have high blood pressure.

Calcium is required for healthy bones and teeth, muscle contraction, blood vessel expansion and contraction, nerve impulse transmission, secretion of hormones and stabilizing proteins and enzymes.

Recommended daily calcium intake in milligrams:

0-6 months: 210, 7-12 months: 270, 1-3 years: 500, 4-8: 800, 9-18: 1300, 19-50: 1000, 51+: 1200

Magnesium supports normal blood pressure and regulates blood sugar levels, metabolism and protein synthesis. It also maintains strong bones, muscle and nerve function and a steady heart rhythm, and supports a strong immune system.

Recommended daily magnesium intake in milligrams:

Female/years 1-3: 80, 4-8: 130, 9-13: 240, 14-18: 360, Pregnancy: 400, Lactation: 360, 19-30: 310, Pregnancy: 350, Lactation: 310, 31+: 320, Pregnancy: 360, Lactation: 320

Male/years 1-3: 80, 4-8: 130, 9-13: 240, 14-18: 410, 19-30: 400, 31+: 420

Potassium

Potassium’s role in the body influences proper nerve function, muscle control and blood pressure. It also works with sodium to maintain water balance and is vital to growth protein efficiency. The potassium-to-sodium ratio should be approximately 2:1. The recommend daily potassium intake is 4,700 mg. Athletes involved in strenuous workouts may require more.

Too much potassium results in a condition known as hyperkalemia, causing blood sugar to fall. This creates problems for diabetics and hypoglycemics, and can lead to cardiac arrest and death. People with kidney problems or those taking certain medications may be at risk of having potassium buildup in their bodies. Potassium supplementation is not advisable unless recommended by your professional health care provider.

The healthy diet is crucial, especially when you’re experiencing high blood pressure. While understanding how the various foods and compounds interact with your body is the first step, realizing just what is in the processed foods you eat is also critical. Reading and understanding food labels will enable you to eliminate the extra calories and dangerous toxins from your diet.

It’s always a good idea to keep close tabs on your “vitals”, especially as you become older (and wiser?). Age, weight, and state of health can bring about changes in vital signs such as blood pressure, pulse, body temperature, and breathing capacity. There are medical devices available to keep readings on pulse, temperature, and BP that can be purchased and used at home. Sphygmomanometer is the technical name for a blood pressure monitoring meter.

Blood pressure

This is the amount of pressure that is exerted on the walls of your blood vessels by blood as it circulates throughout your body. There are two readings; one is systolic which refers to the maximum pressure while the diastolic is the term for the minimum pressure. Although circumstances can cause variations, the normal BP is considered to be one hundred fifteen over seventy five or 115 systolic over 75 diastolic as read a blood pressure monitoring device. Blood’s pressure will vary throughout the day and with different circumstances such as stress, exercise, drugs, and nutritional factors. When one has consistently high blood pressure, such as readings of one hundred thirty over ninety and above, they are said to have hypertension. This means their arterial pressure is abnormally high and this can lead to strokes or heart attacks. High BP creates stress on the inner walls of arteries and blood vessels, and is often called the “silent killer” because it may not be detected until it is too late.

Blood pressure monitoring devices

The original monitoring devices, such as the Sphygmomanometer are cumbersome devices primarily found in hospitals. They consist of a measuring unit that includes a mercury manometer, an inflatable cuff, and a bulb used to inflate the cuff and create the pressure (usually applied to the upper arm) by which blood pressure is measured and read. These devices require quiet surroundings because the doctor or nurse who operates the device must listen for the blood to sound differently through a stethoscope as pressure applied through the cuff is released. The pounding or whooshing sound made by blood inside the arteries will let the reader know when blood resumes flowing in that artery. This method is best used in a hospital environment.

Doctor’s offices and home monitoring equipment consist primarily of blood pressure cuffs attached to an oscillometric monitor to read BP by means of MAP or mean arterial pressure. These typically use a wrist cuff with a digital read out but they must be at heart level while the monitor is in use and readings are taken. These battery operated devices make it quick and easy to monitor ones blood pressure while at home, and in a more peaceful setting. Some patients have what is known as the “white coat” condition (doctors wear white coats) that raises both BP and heart rate, so at home readings are generally lower.
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There are devices used to measure blood pressure by attaching a tiny cuff to ones finger tip but these may not be as accurate as the previous two mentioned. However, they are very portable and give a general idea of the condition of ones pressure. And remote monitoring is possible today through use of wireless technology and Bluetooth devices.